Here's to a great 2018 at the Broadway & Alma Temporary Community Garden!

January marks not just another year, but the start of the Great Countdown To Spring. Hey, February's only a month away, which means we're just a month away from planting those first snow peas in the cold, damp dirt. Not so bad, is it?

Here are a few important garden notices:

SPRING GARDEN OPENING

We haven't made the date official yet, but know that this fun garden kick-off event will be scheduled for some time in late March or April. This will be a great opportunity to meet fellow gardeners, break dirt (if you haven't already) and ask us any pressing growing questions. In addition, this event will serve as our official deadline for collecting any outstanding 2018 Garden Fees.

We're already crossing our fingers for sun!

GARDEN ACCESS + TOOL SHED

Another reminder that there is a cedar box (the garden 'shed') located in the center of the garden, and that inside said shed, you'll find a few rudimentary tools, such as buckets, hand tools and a shovel. We also have a dozen or so tomato cages for folks to make use of in the spring.

****The combination for the shed lock is 000.****

Please make sure to lock the shed when you're done with the tools and to leave it in tidy order.

JOIN THE FACEBOOK GROUP

You can count on a monthly newsletter in your inbox, but for most of the day-to-day and week-to-week communiques, we use the Facebook Group. If you're fluent in the Mighty Interweb, why not join us on FB? It can be handy tool for getting in touch with us (and other gardeners) with garden related questions or watering favours.

For us beginners (and, honestly, just about everyone else), a great starting place is the trusty West Coast Seeds planting chart for growing vegetables in Coastal BC.

Here are a couple basic things to keep in mind when planning your garden, some of which we'll get into more detail about in the coming months.

1. Plant what you like to eat. There's no point attempting to grow broccoli if you detest the stuff!

2. Plant in succession. You have limited space in your beds, so you'll want to consider the long game a bit before planting your first seeds. Peas can be direct-seeded in February, for example, and (with a warm spring) can be harvested by June, freeing up space for a row of summer lettuces or radish or kale (which grows long into the cool winter months).

3. Direct seeding versus transplanting. Have a look at the Planting Chart and you'll see that some crops do better planted directly into the soil, whereas others prefer a warm, indoor start. If you've got the space and patience to start seeds inside your home, awesome! If not, there are plenty of garden shops selling plant 'starts' you can pick up and transplant directly into your garden bed. Consider a mix of both seeds and starts for your garden bed.

And for those visual learners, here's a handy video covering a few basics.